FEAST OF SAINT MARY MAGDALENE - Gospel (John 20:1-2, 11-18) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” (Jn 20:17)

FIRST READING - 3:1-4b

A reading from the Book of Song of Songs

The Bride says:

On my bed at night I sought him

whom my heart loves–

I sought him but I did not find him.

I will rise then and go about the city;

in the streets and crossings I will seek

Him whom my heart loves.

I sought him but I did not find him.

The watchmen came upon me,

as they made their rounds of the city:

Have you seen him whom my heart loves?

I had hardly left them

when I found him whom my heart loves.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - 20:1-2, 11-18

From the Gospel according to John

On the first day of the week,

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,

while it was still dark,

and saw the stone removed from the tomb.

So she ran and went to Simon Peter

and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,

"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,

and we don't know where they put him."

Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping.

And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb

and saw two angels in white sitting there,

one at the head and one at the feet

where the Body of Jesus had been.

And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"

She said to them, "They have taken my Lord,

and I don't know where they laid him."

When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,

but did not know it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?

Whom are you looking for?"

She thought it was the gardener and said to him,

"Sir, if you carried him away,

tell me where you laid him,

and I will take him."

Jesus said to her, "Mary!"

She turned and said to him in Hebrew,

"Rabbouni," which means Teacher.

Jesus said to her,

"Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.

But go to my brothers and tell them,

'I am going to my Father and your Father,

to my God and your God.'"

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,

"I have seen the Lord,"

and then reported what he told her.

FEAST OF SAINT MARY MAGDALENE - Gospel (John 20:1-2. 11-18)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

The Word of God in today’s Gospel speaks of Mary Magdalene’s simple and sincere love for Jesus Christ — the One she loved most in this world.

Because of her absolute love for God, she left everything to follow Jesus and His Mother, to serve in the public preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She witnessed with her very eyes the suffering of Jesus Christ as He carried His cross to Calvary and saw Him take His final breath on the Cross. She wept when she did not find the Master's body in the tomb.

God blessed her to be the first to see the Risen Lord and to become the first messenger of the Good News of the Resurrection when Jesus Christ rose from the dead. How happy are all those who have an absolute love for God like Mary Magdalene. Because God will give them abundant grace and their souls will feel joy, happiness and will be close to Him forever. There is nothing happier than being chosen and sent by God to proclaim the Good News of a loving Jesus Christ who died and rose again to save humanity.

In this new era, God also calls His apostles:

• To go forth and proclaim the Good News of the Resurrection. Whoever believes in the name of Jesus Christ and in the preaching of the apostles will rise with the Risen Christ to eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever does not believe will be condemned.

• To be courageous in spreading joy, for the era of the Holy Spirit has been revealed through the Plan of God the Father's House, a joy revealed when God makes known to humanity the mystery of angels incarnated as humans. The demons were given the opportunity to repent and to cooperate with humans in carrying out all things according to God's instructions.

• Revelation about Archangel Thien Thuong is an angel sent by God to earth, to merge into one with human Nguyen Chu Thien Thuong to write the Word of God the Father for all humanity.

The plan of perfecting all that Jesus preached—but which people have forgotten or failed to understand—will be accomplished when the time comes for the Spirit of Truth to come; He will then lead people into the complete truth.

Have a simple and sincere love for God like Mary Magdalene, so that the Holy Spirit may work within your soul and grant you the grace of Faith, the grace of Conversion, and the grace of Healing.

Thanks be to God. AMEN.